All of our projects are tragedy because we no tragedy is a tool. But im sure, is a tool, too. Talk to us in 20 years. Thank you so much. Hello. How are you . First of all, just thank you for the wonderful, wild, cosmic, strange, fantastic reading. I think everybody feels the same about it. We are very touched and involved emotionally with what you were saying. And about account i just related posted to the part about dying in hospital. My father recently passed away, and he was not a soldier but he was a high priest in judaism. So i was listening very carefully when youre talking about the studying of hebrew. And also i think there was a point we mentioned w. H. I wouldnt in dover beach, the poem. Its a very wonderful thing a last stand about a good armies clashing by night, might want to do that in sometime. And thats alas, theres counseling nothing inappropriate for south florida. So when you go to the bar, go crazy. We will take that to heart when they go out tonight. Thank you. Thank you so much. [applause] no pressure to Say Something brilliant or assimilate everything that has been said tonight. Sum it up, man spent its a directed to the actors. I just want to know what is your process to get into character to do these roles in tragedy . [laughter] thats interesting. We dont really rehearse them very much. Almost that would be the wrong thing to do. Its almost like you have to just let it in there. Theres nothing you can prepared to do it in a way. I suppose if we were to do a whole production we would have to. And i dont know if you experienced of the translation of this material, but what bryan has been in these translations, theres nothing between the words and the sound of the words and the meaning and beginning of the words. So we dont have to figure out what sophocles is trying to say, at the motivation of these characters is unclear that is the purity of it, not to say its simplistic mess but its distilled to a point of transparency, and its so effective i think i would challenge anybody to read these words and not have some. And however it comes out when you read it, thats what it means because thats how you see it. Thats the beauty of this literature. Because it transcends and becomes a very universal thing. Bryan has talked about this as he said in a book that youre not alone in this room. Youre not alone across the country or across time because this material, we are all together in a. Its not about doing a process of how im going to read this stuff. Its very, very primitive kind of music that comes in and goes out in an unimpeded way. Thank you. Thank you so much. [applause] thank you. Spent bryan, congratulations. Thank you very, very much. Thank you both. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] booktv is on facebook are like us to get publishing news, schedule updates, behind the scenes pictures and videos. Offer information and to talk directly with authors during our live programs. Facebook. Com booktv. And now from the 2015 roosevelt reading festival, Molly Guptil Manning discusses her book when books went to war the stories that helped us win world war ii. And now it is my pleasure to introduce our author for this session, molly many. She will be discussing her new book when books went to war the stories that helped us win world war ii. Molly manning grew up in new york, north of albany so welcome back to the hudson river valley. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from university of albany at all become uncertain which also earned a masters degree in american history. A graduate of the Benjamin Cardozo school of law in new york city shes an attorney for the United States court of appeals, Second Circuit in new york city. In 2012 she published her first book the myth, it tells the true story of one of the most elaborate literary hoaxes in american history. Her latest book when books went to war tells the amazing and inspiring story of how the United States government and americas librarians and publishers educated americans on the homefront about the importance of books in wartime. And organize programs that led to the distribution over 140 million books to u. S. Soldiers and sailors serving in our armed forces during world war ii. Please join me in welcoming Molly Manning to the roosevelt reading festival. [applause] thank you for that wonderful introduction. Thank you all for coming today. So what id like to talk about today is this extraordinary story of how books played an essential role during world war ii. Its a story that was largely forgotten but i think youll see by the end of this program they were very important part of world war ii and they really defined that generation and the generation that came after. 140 million books were distributed those who served in world war ii. Thats an extraordinary number, and the undertaking was truly extraordinary as well. [inaudible] so what id like to start with i is why books come of all things, that could be provided to servicemen, why did the cover select Reading Materials . And really we have congress to thank for this. Due to the disastrous timing of the selective training and service act, and allocation of funding for the army to build Training Camps to train the conscripts that would be drafted into military service, the army ended up facing an extraordinary morale problem. So basically in the summer of 1940 president roosevelt asked congress to pass legislation for the first peacetime draft in american history. America was not at war. Most americans were isolationists. They did not want to join a war that they consider to be a foreign war that was thousands of miles away and to fill it really didnt concern them. America was still reeling from the Great Depression and if you like domestic problems really shouldve been the main focus of the government, not the war in europe. But fdr realized if america were attacked, the current state of military could not possibly get into the United States. The American Army was only approximate 174,000 people in 1939. That was really, really small. And so he asked congress to please pass legislation to allow for a draft to Congress Worked on legislation over the summer and in september 1940, they finally passed the selective training and service act. They also realize it needed to have funding so that the army to build adequate Training Camps for all of many people that would be coming into the military. So what ended up happening is people were drafted into the services before new Training Camps were actually built for them. So instead of going to a Training Area where there were barracks in cafeterias and bathrooms and classrooms and things of that nature for their training, he ended up having villages of tense. Im assuming most of you are from new york and you for me with what winter feels like. Unfortunately, the draft occurred over the winter, at least for the full conscripts are to live in tents during the wintertime in the north was really a miserable experience. So that alone made many people feel less than excited for their military service. On top of that many people didnt even understand why they were drafted. America was not at work that they didnt really make sense to them why they would have to train for military service under those circumstances. And also a lot of people were very young who were drafted into the military. They were used to living at home with her parents. This was the first undertaken out of the family home to live in tents with perfect strangers. When he came to the actual training, military had not yet received uniforms at minicamp. They also didnt have the guns. So the men were stuck wearing uniforms from world war i which were very itchy. They were made out of wool. If they had used broomsticks and pretend that broomsticks were guns. So under these circumstances it was a perfect recipe for misery. And the army had this model that only a happy soldier, attack the soldiers would be better soldiers. Soldiers. What they pay for miserable soldiers and they didnt really want to know what kind of soldiers they would turn out to be. And so what ended up happening is military started doing research cant figure out what can we do to make them in happier. They realized the morale problem was not universal. In more established Training Camps such as those during world war i, there were all sorts of unused and available to them in. So after a full days training they can actually relax and enjoy themselves. So, for example, in fort benning, georgia, mnf facilities like pool halls. They also had Movie Theaters are there were stages where they could watch stage shows or maybe comedians would come through and give a show for the men to enjoy. They also had libraries so make it go and take out books, and they also plenty of tables where they were to write a letter to their loved ones at home they had a private place where they could do it rather than being crammed into a tent with a bunch of strangers trying to pour out their hearts to their loved ones. And the army realized that the man lived in Training Camps at all of these entities were dramatically happier. They felt a sense of purpose in their training, and the army felt that that was what they needed to try to duplicate in the new Training Areas. By the only problem was that there struggling to build barracks in cafeterias and classrooms. They couldnt exactly stop construction on those types of structures to build a Movie Theater and so they tried to think what kind of entertainment can we provide that would be small, that would necessarily have to be housed in any kind of structure. Said in a everybody in america said it they all decided that this was a war they wanted to fight for everyone to do their part and americans wanted to donate books to treating cancer. So it started by plastered posters across the is states is everybody u. S. Backed a Book Campaign was about to kick off n. J. During 1942 on the steps of the New York Public Library there was said to week publicity the unfair extravaganza where they try to bring in as many celebrities and politicians and colleted military officials to explain why books were so important in wartime. Each day thousands upon thousands of books were donated. This is the basement of the New York Public Library they have books taller than they are stacked next to them donated by new yorkers. Among the celebrities Katharine Hepburn. After she gave a speech out important books were to ask all americans to donate she brought stacks of books herself ordination and signed each one and worked wrote an encouraging message inside the covers of whoever would pick the book would seek Katharine Hepburn wishing them well it wasnt just by adults are for adults even children were involved. Librarians work with boys scouts and girl scouts who would organize doortodoor campaigns, events of a collection point asking people to bring books and get them ready to go to Training Camps. There was one troop in chicago that was or sixth so successful with a doortodoor campaign from dawn to dusk they collected 10,000 books. The campaign was going well after a few months they had collected millions but the volunteers were hoping to collect 10 million by a summer of 42. So they turn to roosevelt for help he was happy to oblige he declared victory book day and ask all americans to go through the bookshelves to select books they enjoyed reading and president roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt were both the hands of reading. If you visit their home they have book shelves filled with books and fdr was a collector and he fell books played an Important Role because as the german army spread across europe there was an effort to destroy the books the ada is getting control of ideas that did not support the nep the not the platform were considered dangerous so they that they had to be locked fdr did not think that was the best policy but americans could combat that to read as many books as they could so the Victory Campaign all types regardless of the point to the Training Camps was a genius idea. Sole he gave a speech about the power of the books and he concluded that we know books are weapons. After the speech he had a press conference in one reporter asked mr. President , what type of books should be asked them to donate . He responded anything but algebra. [laughter] but on a more serious note he said seriously anything you have read and have enjoyed. So with the president s support they met the goal of collecting 10 million books which was a huge accomplishment but what you notice about the books being collected . They are all hardbacks and this is fine generally that there just reading books but they were is so ideal for those said to the fronts so it is marked africa you can see they were marching forward quite some time although the positions were in the packs so they were necessities like food and ammunition and weapons important things that would make the cut but as they marched for a few miles they stopped to go through their pack there is anything they could eliminate that was not necessary because their feet were blistered and it was hot there were uncomfortable in wanted to do anything they could to lighten their load even though many broughton of victory book with them in many carried them off the ships because they knew the knights would be long and boring there is no repeaters in north africa so they had to carry it with them but unfortunately after days of marching many reluctantly had to be set aside because they cannot carry the weight. Paperbacks would be a huge improvement but the american paperback industry was in its infancy only 200,000 were printed in the United States in 1939 so the victory Book Campaign collected 10 million only a small portion was paperback. The library is could not do anything that was on the publishers. The of printers did not want to publish the paperback it costs between 2 and decency and 3 in the sense. A paperback could be sold 0. 25 so obviously they had a much bigger profits to sell the hard cover so they didnt want to in the same could be said for those who ran bookstores to have more of a profit but they realized this is the special circumstance we have to do our part so they realize they had to print a special book just for troops just for distribution overseas and there would have a special program to sell the books directly to the army and the navy then they could distribute around the world. But they had to redesign the book that never existed before so they got rid of the hardcover and reduced the size every 31 2 by five 1 2 the biggest was torn in half by six 1 2. The book press could not print books this tiny because most rate in half by 10 inches so publishers had to figure out they would print them so they turn to a magazine press a blueprint to books on top of one another then slice them in half. The magazine presses could not use book paper so the user on thinner paper so publishers decided that is great this then we can make thinner book so they went to the magazine that was the thickness of newsprint this is from england to the left is the hard cover the right is the Armed Services editions of admitted dramatically thinner book. To show you just how small they are and they are pocketsized i have one in my pocket right now. Which says mark twain the complete book. And it does fit inside of a pocket. It is very lightweight it was a huge boon for the soldiers because they were truly pocketsized they didnt have to fit into a backpack because it would issue in a standard military uniform. So each month they would publish 30 different titles. So the entire set is said to the servicemen that are fighting each month each received one full set for perot wanted to show you inside the books because it is remarkable of the changes so the back cover and add us summary of their wanted to figure out the types of books to read they could figure it out quickly if not they would pass it on. Theyre all printed with two columns of text this is extraordinary because soldiers realized they didnt have a lamp and 70 men in a the navy and the research showed if they made the columns shorter dated have to make across 45 inches but just 2 inches and it made easier for the soldiers to read even in that of an ideal conditions. In the printed if they put a favorite title or a favorite author they didnt want to miss it they just had to check the back of their book each month than they knew someone in the unit had the book they just had to track them down. Been there is a strict unspoken policy so as soon as you were done with the book you had to pass it on. Really popular books have waiting lists see consign them to be the next person in line if you heard it was a good the books are incredibly popular but what i would like to do is have the men themselves to you how they felt rather than the paraphrase because that is anecdotes better much more powerful. Someone to show you a few that were printed as Armed Services editions. The first one prefers one and to be printed you can see the a1 in the quarter that was the first series ben book number worn. Number one it has short sketches of humor. Not exactly difficult reading and one person wrote to the author would commit to him and his unit. And want to thank you profoundly for myself and more importantly in the godforsaken part of the day hot during the day in freeze that i know what were doing here at the persian gulf no one knows all we have for recreation is a pingpong set with one paddle. [laughter] last week received your book i read it and roared with laughter. As an experiment to read it one night at camp fire and the men hold. I have not heard such laughter in months. Now they demand i only read one chapter a night it is a ration on our pleasure. For those of first received the first dirty books it was a total sur